


A servant grants their master's wishes

by Red_CELEBRATION



Series: दृष्टि के नीचे drshti ke neeche (Beneath the sight) [2]
Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night - All Media Types, fate - Fandom
Genre: Alex and Arjuna bonding, Attempted present tense, Gen, I did the best I could with that, I don't know how Arjuna's personality should be, Learning to be neat, OOC-ness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 12:07:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13123401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_CELEBRATION/pseuds/Red_CELEBRATION
Summary: “Archer…” The soft mumble of his master’s sleep heavy voice snaps Archer out of his thoughts.“Yes Master?”A pouty frown passes on her lips but drifts away as her sleep riddled mind begins to swim away from reality. “धन्यवाद।- Thank… you. -.”





	A servant grants their master's wishes

**Author's Note:**

> So thank you to any and all those who read this and have read my previous fanfic to this one. I enjoyed writing this one and hopefully I'll have another written. I apologize for any OOC-ness and inconsistencies. I tried to make sure there weren't many but...
> 
> Anyways, please enjoy and leave any opinions, thoughts, or concerns in a review/comment if you'd like.

Sunlight peeks through an unblocked window, illuminating a room of white. Asleep in bed lies a child, Alexandra. Her eyes closed and hair spread out like a mess of melted chocolate. 

 

She rolls over and as she does so, the bit of sunlight that has begun to enter burns at her. Waking her from a wondrous dream sleep. 

 

Heterochromatic eyes open, bleary with sleep.

She yawns as she stretches out her arms and neck, the chilling air forming goosebumps on her arms. 

 

The day begins as it normally does- As it  **always** does.

 

A quick shower later and in a new pair of pajamas she lies there watching the sun continue to rise. Silence is all around her.

Breakfast comes in with a gentle knock on the door. Alexandra doesn’t bother to answer or look up. The maids will come in either way.

 

The door opens and in comes a trolley of silver and a tray of gold filled with plates of mushed fruits and soft vegetables, rice porridge on the side. The maids are dressed in brown, white aprons on their front, and hoods over their head. Only their eyes are visible.

 

Alexandra recognizes them as the new maids from a week ago. The same time she received the letter.

 

The pages of the book stretch as she holds onto the ends tightly. None speak, Alexandra turns her head to the food only once the women have left. 

 

Her hand reaches for the tray, eyes glaring, and just as she suspects, there. Under the bowl of rice is another letter. She reaches for the letter first before anything else.

 

_ Well, it seems you followed my instructions. I suppose I’ll leave your brother alone for  _ now.

_ I would have preferred you’d have summoned a saber, but can’t be picky now can we little one? _

_ Your Archer will do, in the meantime.  _

_ Do be expecting a letter from me every week darling. _

Alexandra’s breath hitched as she read the next lines.

_ P.S: _

_ Don’t forget to keep this a secret from your daddies~ _

_ Afterall, we wouldn’t want another accident to happen like last time you tried telling them about little ole me, right? _

_ P.P.S: _

_ Keep your command seals out of sight. _

 

Soon the letter begins to burn, evaporating into green dust. 

Alexandra grips the spine of her book and throws it across the room. It hits the wall and falls back onto the floor with an echoing ‘thump’. 

 

Memories of her ‘papa' lying still in bed with Vati holding his hand desperately flood her mind. The sound of Vati crying and pleading whispers haunt her ears. 

 

Tears gather at the corners, but a quick brush keeps them at bay.

 

Her gaze goes towards the back of her left hand.

 

Carved in red were the seals she received last night as proof of her contract with Archer. They were no doubt beautiful; a lotus flower made of intricate patterns followed with a out line and three circles on the edges. 

 

Seconds tick by and it is only once she feels a sense of calm that she begins to eat. 

The room remains silent as she goes about her day.

* * *

 

Laughter echoes into her room and bitterly, Alexandra buries her envy.

 

It’s lunch and lunch means the doctor. A doctor she hates and wishes many things not meant for the weak of heart. She tries not to have those thoughts or make those wishes, but when all they do is lie it’s hard not to.

 

As she throws the jelly slime-a product of mixing certain chemicals with the mashed fruits- the door opens.

 

It’s the doctor and his nurses. The same doctor and nurses she’s seen her whole life. Rugged red hair and disgusting rotten orange eyes. He smiles and Alexandra glares back.

 

She sticks out her arm not saying a single word. She already knows how the procedure goes.

 

The hours around her go by in slow motion. She ignores whatever the doctor says, ignores his false persona and counts the seconds it takes until he’s gone.

*******

By the time the doctor leaves Alexandra is drained. A yawn leaves her lips and tears gather the corners of her eyes.

 

“You have quite the peculiar tastes master.”

 

A yelp jumps out from Alexandra’s mouth. Standing in the other side of the room is Archer, practically blended with the color of the room. 

 

She meets his stare with her own and stumbles over words, “I- I suppose I do.” She looks over to the book on the table; an tenth year  high-school textbook.

 

Around the room in shelves, on the floor, lying in various positions are textbooks of different kinds. Some in german, some in english, some in french, and so on. One of each covering a different subject in their respective language and country. 

 

Something of an awkward silence roams in the room.

 

Archer turns his head and as he does he finds his gaze landing on an old notebook. He picks up it out of curiosity, turning the pages as he reads the contents.

 

“...Master,” he says as he continues scanning through the book.

 

“Yes?” She answers despite the oddity she feels from being called ‘Master.’

 

“I mean no disrespect to you when I say this, however,” his eyes stare sincerely at her. “Your writing is… very  _ messy _ .”

 

Breathy laughter, “You’re not the first to tell me that Archer. Sion tells me the same thing every time she visits.” 

 

A picture of two girls laughing together glistens. One of them undoubtedly Alexandra herself, but the other unknown. 

Like Alexandra herself, the other girl’s hair is brown but it is a mahogany brown-red with a simple streak of black. Her eyes glittering with indescribable joy; mouth curved up in a smile.

 

Archer takes notice of the picture but says nothing of it.

 

“She tries to help me, but…” Alexandra shrugs, “What’s the point?”

 

There’s no one to teach her properly aside from Sion. She hardly ever sees her papa and Vati and the household servants don’t stay long enough to even have a proper conversation. 

 

And, as much as Sion tries even she is limited to visiting Alexandra. 

 

With all this in mind Alexandra pulls her knees closer towards her chest. Her words are mumbled softly- nearly fading, “I’d love to learn to write neatly. I think it would be nice, but when all I do is read and stay here what reason do I have?” Archer remains silent listening to her words. 

 

“I can have whatever I want so long as I ask for it.”

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

“Master, if that was the case then my help to teach you to write neatly would be unnecessary.”

 

_ Huh? _

 

“What…” She stops as she realizes that Archer is at her side, holding a stack of plain papers with a pencil laid on top. His words slowly registering within her mind.

 

“Judging by what I have seen, the biggest problem may be how you hold the pencil. Here,” he pushes the pencil towards her.

 

A beat of silence and then a hesitant hand. 

 

She grips the pencil with her whole hand, which is then corrected by another, much larger and firmer, hand. 

 

“When holding a pencil Master, you don’t hold it as if it’s a weapon. You hold it as if you are pinching your fingers together.” He hands her a stack of papers. “Now, if you would please.” 

 

Her eyes stare into his and then, she’s writing. 

Her hand’s shaky and the letters wobbly at best, but overall? It’s an improvement to her alien-like writing from before. 

 

Archer looks over the paper once before nodding to himself. “Your spelling is fine, I assume it’s from all the reading you do, but,” he glances over the page once more. “You have problems with order. Your sentences are chaotic; switching between tenses, pronouns, and languages. We can work on those at the same time we work on fixing your nonexistent neatness.” The last bit was said in such a distasteful tone, that Alexandra could only politely smile at it and laugh softly.

 

A quick glance at the window tells her that she has about another five hours before dinner. Something akin to excitement bubbles in Alexandra’s chest and for one of the few times in her life she’s happy.

* * *

 

Of course thing’s are never so simply fixed. A problem that neither had forseen was that Alexandra had developed a habit of holding her pencil, and spoon since Archer wanted to know if she held it, the same way. In a grip rather than a pinch.

 

It was now going to be a matter of breaking a longtime habit, rather than just fixing neatness. 

 

Alexandra laughs madly at herself, “Sion’s going to have a kick out of this once I tell her the news.”

 

“Master,” Archer’s voice is dull, “ _ please _ get back to work. Your habit is never going to break unless you practice holding the pencil-”

 

“ _ And _ spoon Archer!”

 

He shuts his eyes, “ _ And spoon, _ the proper way.” He slaps lightly at the stack of papers on her lap and so she listens to him.

 

With shaky fingers she begins once more.

* * *

 

“Archer,” the scratching of pencil against paper accompanies her voice. 

 

“Yes Master?”

 

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but… Archer,” She stops the motion of the pencil. “ _ Why _ did you help me? Even after everything I said?”

 

Silence.

 

“There really wasn’t a reason for you to help me with my writing, so why?” Her head turns so that when their eyes do meet she can see judge his reasoning.

 

“I helped, Master, because you wished to be better, and it is a servant’s duty to fulfill their Master’s wishes is it not?” 

 

Alexandra looks at him. There is no deceit; no other reason except for that he said. Something in her chest struggles to breathe and her face feels oddly warm. A small but wide curved smile reaches her lips and soon the silence returns, but in it something has grown.

 

A bond.

*******

 

When dinner arrives the maids pause at the door. Hushed whispers among them as they cross over carefully. Light even breathing radiates from the bed, and papers that were once stacked neatly have now slidden down their former position. 

 

Lights dim until only the moonlight fills the room and steps that began there soon fade. 

 

It is only after a passing of silence that Archer re-emerges from his spirit form. His dark skin glowing in the light of the moon. 

 

He stares down at the small child that is his master and wonders. Wonders why he answered her call; wonders why he is even there at all. He could have left instantly, but something- his curiosity perhaps- kept-keeps- him here.

 

_ “Archer…” _ The soft mumble of his master’s sleep heavy voice snaps Archer out of his thoughts.

 

“Yes Master?”

 

A pouty frown passes on her lips but drifts away as her sleep riddled mind begins to swim away from reality. “धन्यवाद।- **Thank… you.** -.” 

 

Her hand reaches out for his, taking it; holding it in a warm embrace. Archer blanks at her action. For when he lived, not many-  _ if any _ \- ever touched him as freely as his master does.

 

He knows not what to do, so he remains there at his master’s side the entire night through. Vanishing only when the sun rises and the day begins again.


End file.
